Autonomy support and well-being in teachers: differential mediations through basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration

Patterns of the Satisfaction and Frustration of Psychological Needs and Their Associations with Adolescent Students' School Affect, Burnout, and Achievement

Based on self-determination theory and adopting a person-oriented approach, we aimed to investigate the latent profiles of adolescent students' basic psychological needs and their associations with personal characteristics (gender, socioeconomic status) as well as school functioning (school affect, burnout, academic achievement). Latent profile analyses based on a group of 1521 Chinese high school students identified four need profiles: low satisfaction/moderate frustration, high satisfaction/low frustration, average all, and moderate satisfaction/high frustration. Furthermore, there were significant differences in students' school functioning among the four latent profiles. Specifically, students with moderate to high levels of need frustration were most likely to experience maladaptive school functioning, regardless of their need satisfaction level. Additionally, gender and socioeconomic status were significant predictors of profile membership. The findings of this study can assist educators in gaining a better understanding of the diverse patterns of psychological needs among students and help them to implement targeted interventions.

How good do you think you are with computers? The link between teachers' perceived digital literacy, occupational efficacy, and psychological distress

The present study focused on teachers' perceived digital literacy, occupational self-efficacy, and psychological distress. Our sample included 279 Romanian teachers aged 20 to 66 (M = 31.92, SD = 11.72), with professional experience ranging from 1 to 46 years (M = 8.90). We tested a moderated mediated model, exploring occupational self-efficacy as a mediator of the relationship between perceived digital literacy (moderated by gender, controlling for age and professional experience) and psychological distress. Our findings suggested that higher levels of perceived digital literacy led to higher levels of occupational self-efficacy, which led to lower levels of psychological distress. Gender moderated this relationship, i.e., the observed indirect effects were significant for both genders, but the effects were stronger for male participants. We discuss our results concerning their practical implications for teachers' mental health and professional activity and the perspectives following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Need satisfaction and frustration scale (NSFS): adaptation and validation for Brazilian gig work context

Purpose

This study aims to adapt and validate the need satisfaction and frustration scale (NSFS) for the Brazilian gig work context and investigate the distinctiveness of the constructs of basic needs satisfaction and frustration among Brazilian gig workers.

Design/methodology/approach

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted on a sample of 351 Brazilian gig workers.

Findings

Results from EFA supported a three-factor structure, while results from CFA psychometrically supported a six-factor correlated model. The items that constitute the NSFS presented good discriminant validity (heterotrait-monotrait ratio) and internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients). Results regarding criterion validity partially support previous empirical evidence that considers needs satisfaction and frustration independent in relation to well-being and ill-being while reinforcing the need for further investigations. The Brazilian version of the NSFS is shown to be an instrument with robust psychometric qualities to assess workers’ perception of basic needs satisfaction and frustration in Brazilian gig work context.

Originality/value

This study broadens the scope of research on basic psychological needs by introducing a valid and reliable instrument to assess workers’ perceptions of needs satisfaction and frustration in the Brazilian gig work context, a population that has been neglected in self-determination theory research.

A bibliometrics analysis of research on teachers' satisfaction from 1956 to 2022

Purpose

This research study aims to capture the movement of research focus and to highlight notable authors, journals and documents on teachers' satisfaction from 1956 to 2022.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper analyzed the bibliographic metadata associated with 720 Clarivate Web of Science indexed articles on this topic, using descriptive, co-occurrence and thematic analyses.

Findings

The study first identified the growth trajectory of literature on this topic over time and found a steady increasement since 2016. The findings also revealed four sub-topics that scholars often investigate when studying teachers' satisfaction, which are: leadership, engagement, self-efficacy and retention, as well as the scholars' research focus on those sub-topics across different periods. In recent years, scholars have been paying more attention to exploring the influence of various leadership styles and teachers' professional identities on job satisfaction.

Originality/value

This paper is the first bibliometric review on this topic. The results of this study showed that there was little collaboration between authors across countries and territories. Therefore, there is a considerable demand for comparative studies on this topic, which can expose untapped insights from various cultures and societies. Finally, by featuring the most influential authors, documents and journals on teachers' satisfaction, this work might serve as an introduction for scholars who are new to this topic.

"I'm tired of black boxes!": A systematic comparison of faculty well-being and need satisfaction before and during the COVID-19 crisis

As of today, surprisingly little is known about the subjective well-being of faculty in general, but especially when teaching online and during a time of pandemic during lockdowns in particular. To narrow this research gap, the present study systematically compared the subjective well-being of faculty teaching face-to-face before to those teaching online during the COVID-19 pandemic, adopting a self-determination theory framework. The data reported here stem from a study conducted before the pandemic (Sample 1, n = 101) and which repeated-measures survey design we replicated to collect corresponding data during the pandemic (Sample 2, n = 71). Results showed that faculty teaching online during the pandemic reported impaired satisfaction of all three basic needs, that is reduced autonomy, competence, and especially relatedness, as well as impaired subjective well-being (clearly reduced enjoyment and reduced teaching satisfaction; increased anger and a tendency towards more shame) compared to faculty teaching face-to-face before the pandemic. Yet pride, anxiety, and boredom were experienced to a similar extent across both samples. The effects of the teaching format on the different aspects of subjective well-being were overall mediated in self-determination-theory-congruent ways by the satisfaction of the basic needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. We conclude for a post-pandemic future that online teaching will supplement rather than replace face-to-face teaching in higher education institutions, as their importance for building relationships and satisfying social interactions not only for students but also for faculty seem to have been underestimated so far.

Evaluating the immediate and delayed effects of psychological need thwarting of online teaching on Chinese primary and middle school teachers’ psychological well-being

Recent studies on the effects of mandatory online teaching, resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, have widely reported low levels of satisfaction, unwillingness to continue online teaching, and negative impacts on the psychological well-being of teachers. Emerging research has highlighted the potential role of psychological need thwarting (PNT), in terms of autonomy, competence, and relatedness thwarting, resulting from online teaching. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immediate and delayed (longitudinal) effects of PNT of online teaching on teachers’ well-being (including distress and burnout), intention to continue online teaching, and job satisfaction. Moreover, data collected from both cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys allowed for a systematic validation of an important instrument in the field of teacher psychology, the Psychological Need Thwarting Scale of Online Teaching (PNTSOT), in terms of longitudinal reliability and validity. The data reveal the usefulness of the construct of PNT in terms predicting and explaining teachers’ willingness to continue using online teaching as well as the degree of burnout after a period of 2 months, such that PNT is positively associated with burnout and negatively associated with willingness to continue online teaching. As such, the PNTSOT is recommended for future research evaluating the long-term psychological, affective, and intentional outcomes stemming from teachers’ PNT. Moreover, based on our findings that the impact from PNT of online teaching is persistent and long-term, we suggest that school leaders provide flexible and sustained professional development, model respectful and adaptive leadership, and create opportunities for mastery for the development of community of practice that can mitigate the thwarting of teachers’ autonomy, competence, and relatedness during times of uncertainty. Additionally, in terms of the psychometric properties of the PNTSOT instrument, our empirical findings demonstrate internal reliability, test–retest reliability, measurement invariance, and criterion validity (concurrent and predictive) based on cross-sectional and longitudinal data.

Does the use of Gender-Fair Language Impair the Comprehensibility of Video Lectures? – An Experiment Using an Authentic Video Lecture Manipulating Role Nouns in German

Gender-fair language makes women and other genders, their interests, and their achievements more visible and is particularly relevant to grammatical gender languages such as German, in which most nouns and personal pronouns are assigned to a specific gender. The present study tested the often repeated critical claims that gender-fair language impairs the comprehensibility and aesthetic appeal of videos. In an experiment with N = 105 students, participants watched a video on self-determination theory, either with masculine-only forms or using the glottal stop, a form of spoken gender-fair language that inserts an abrupt and sustained closure of the vocal cords in the larynx between the masculine form or the stem and the feminine ending of words (e.g. in German “Leserʔinnen”, ∼feʔmale readers). Subsequently, participants completed a questionnaire regarding the video's comprehensibility. The results show no statistically significant impairment regarding the general subjective comprehensibility (partial η2 < .01), the ease of ascribing meaning to the words (partial η2 < .01), the ease of decoding the syntax of the sentences (partial η2 = .03), or the aesthetic appeal of the videos (partial η2 = .02). The critics’ claims are therefore questioned.

Development of Chinese College English Teachers' Psychological Empowerment Scale: A Validation Study

Relevant research shows teachers' "psychological power" plays a more essential role in promoting their professional development compared with the powers provided by various external factors, and it is therefore held that exploring college English teachers' individual psychological power is of great significance. To this end, this study investigated college English teachers' psychological empowerment (CETPE) via the development and validation of CETPE's scale. Based on our literature review on psychological empowerment and analysis of teachers professional development's status quo, we made a working definition of CETPE as a system involving perception of their occupation, sense of competence, experiencing of autonomy, judgment of their impact and understanding of their status. In our study, firstly the literature review and the interview with 17 college English teachers were adopted to conceptualize the dimensions of CETPE, and an exploratory factor analysis of data was conducted from 227 college English teachers and then the subsequent confirmatory factor analysis of data collected from another sample of 1030 generated 15 items belonging to five factors. The findings reveal that CETPE is systematically composed of teachers' positive perception and experience of work meaningfulness, teaching autonomy, occupational competence, professional impact and social status. This study provides a new path for teachers' professional development via strengthening their intrinsic driving force and thus helps improve the college English teaching effects.

Swiss Primary Teachers' Professional Well-Being During School Closure Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

During sudden school closures in spring 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers had to move to distance teaching. This unprecedented situation could be expected to influence teacher well-being and schools as organizations. This article reports a qualitative study that aims at understanding how changes in teachers’ professional lives that were related to school closure affected Swiss primary teachers’ professional well-being. In semi-structured online-interviews, 21 teachers from 15 schools sampled by snowball method reported their experiences during school closure and distance teaching and how this situation influenced their professional well-being. Results showed that medium to high levels of teacher well-being could accompany a general negative evaluation of the move to distance teaching. Factors such as high work-load, social distancing and feelings of lack of competence and self-efficacy were among the most aversive aspects of distance teaching and associated with deteriorating professional well-being. Among a plethora of factors that supported teachers in maintaining their well-being, contextual work-related aspects such as school resources, collegial support or leadership support along with individual aspects such as resilience, coping strategies, and clear work structures were important. Additionally, it was found that teacher well-being was nourished by positive experiences with the new forms of distance teaching and feelings of professional mastery. Despite methodological limitations (snowball sampling, retrospective interviews), the findings of this study could inform schools and authorities about what is needed to support teacher well-being and might help to develop organizational strategies that aim at preventing harmful declines in teacher well-being during challenging and difficult times such as a pandemic.

COVID-19 lockdown distress, but not the infection concerns, shape psychological functioning during the pandemic: The mediating role of basic psychological needs

This study examined the effect of COVID‐19 lockdown and infection concerns on positive and negative aspects of psychological functioning during the first weeks of the new coronavirus pandemic, and the mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration. Slovene adults (N = 425; 79% female) filled in questionnaires measuring COVID‐19‐related stressors, satisfaction and frustration of basic psychological needs, well‐being, and ill‐being. Results of the path analysis with Bootstrap estimation procedure revealed that the perceived severity of the COVID‐19 lockdown circumstances predicted diminished psychological functioning of participants both directly and via decreased needs satisfaction and increased needs frustration. Conversely, the infection concerns had a much weaker and direct only effect on the increased ill‐being, but no effect on well‐being. These findings indicate that lockdown circumstances, but not the possibility of COVID‐19 infection, predominantly shape individuals’ ability to satisfy their basic needs and subsequently their psychological functioning during the pandemic. The study suggests that public health responses should address not only risk of infection but also people’s psychological needs.

Teacher Training Can Make a Difference: Tools to Overcome the Impact of COVID-19 on Primary Schools. An Experimental Study

Overcoming the impact of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on primary schools is an emerging need and priority in the current social welfare system. Accordingly, this study presents an empirical learning package to support teachers, who perform frontline work in schools, in coping with stress, preventing burnout, improving their information and communications technology (ICT) competency, and introducing the principles of emotional intelligence (EI) in the classroom. The participants included 141 primary school teachers (M = 38.4 years, SD = 6.84; 54.6% women). They were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. The experimental group participated in the 14-week teacher training program, whereas the control group did not participate in the program or receive any other training during the intervention. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (time x group) was performed to identify the effects of the teacher training program. Teachers who participated in the training program evaluated it positively and showed significant differences compared to the control group in their abilities to cope with stress and avoid burnout, their ICT competency, and their introduction of EI in the classroom. Implications for supporting teachers are discussed.

Polish Adaptation of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale

This article presents the findings of four studies designed to validate the translated Polish version of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale. Results of exploratory factor analyses in Study 1 (N = 272, M age = 41.07) showed that the psychological need for autonomy, relatedness, and competence that are central to the Self-Determination Theory have a bidimensional structure, involving both a need for satisfaction and need for frustration component. Subsequent confirmatory factor analyses in Study 2 (N = 265; M age = 38.15) provided further evidence for a six-dimensional structure of the scale, thereby distinguishing a satisfaction and frustration component for each of the three needs. Study 3 (N = 158; M age = 27.28) further revealed that the distinguished subscales are moderately to highly internally consistent and yielded good test-retest reliability. Finally, Study 4 (N = 204; M age = 20.57) confirmed that satisfaction of the needs is positively related to well-being, while frustration is positively related to depressive symptoms. The Polish version of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale can be successfully used in future basic and applied studies in the context of Self-Determination Theory.

Teaching Happiness to Teachers - Development and Evaluation of a Training in Subjective Well-Being

Teachers' health is a persistent challenge for educational systems all over the world. Moreover, research results - especially in the domain of positive psychology - indicate that high levels of well-being are associated with additional benefits improving teachers' professional performance. Therefore, a training to foster subjective well-being with one training day, two booster sessions, and exercises before, during, and after the meetings was developed. It consisted of about 10 h of face-to-face time and about 3 h for the exercises in total over a 5-week training period. Main contents were conditions and consequences of positive and negative emotions and well-being, emotion regulation, time management, savoring and gratitude and the application of positive psychological interventions (like Three Good Things). Analyses of planned contrasts by means of a waiting control group design with three measurement points (pre, post, and follow-up) showed a significantly higher increase for the training group (n = 42) than for the control group (n = 47) in the frequency of positive emotions, life satisfaction, and flourishing (interaction effects d = 0.44, d = 0.31, and d = 0.32) and a significantly stronger decrease in the frequency of negative emotions, perceived stress, and experiencing emotional exhaustion (interaction effects d = 0.69, d = 0.51, and d = 0.47) from pre to 1-month follow-up. Training effects were also visible up to 5 months, although no control group could be realized for this period due to the field approach.